


Fitz Versus the Fancy Dress Party

by Kallimax



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-07
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-03 21:16:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1073137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kallimax/pseuds/Kallimax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ward and Simmons go undercover at a party. Fitz has a lot of issues with this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fitz Versus the Fancy Dress Party

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt I found on Tumblr, which I unfortunately didn't save. If anyone has any idea where it came from, let me know, so I can credit that person. Otherwise, enjoy!

When Fitz walked into the lab, he was surprised to see Ward talking to Simmons. Simmons nodded and turned away quickly as she registered his presence, which just made Fitz uneasy. If they were discussing something Simmons didn’t want him to know about, it couldn’t be good. After Ward left, Fitz looked at Simmons. “What was that?”

Simmons fluttered around her area of the lab. “Oh, ah, nothing really.”

Fitz didn’t say anything. He knew something was happening, and he also knew if he waited long enough Simmons would tell him what it was. He didn’t even have to wait a minute.

“Ward needs me for a mission,” she said finally.

“You?” Fitz blurted. He hadn’t quite meant to say it out loud, but the sudden and overwhelming panic he felt at the thought of Simmons out on a mission with Ward got the best of him. He knew what a mission with Ward was like, and the thought of Simmons out there… “Why not someone else? Anyone else?”

“I can be useful, you know,” Simmons snapped, but beyond the annoyance, Fitz could see a hint of fear in her eyes. “Besides, there isn’t likely to be any danger, and if there is, Ward will be there, won’t he? It’ll be fine, really.”

But Fitz’s mind was busy running through a list of all the things Ward couldn’t save Simmons from, all the ways this mission could go horribly wrong. He shuddered at the thought. “Go on, then,” he said to distract himself. “What’s the mission?”

“Oh, you know,” Simmons said, “nothing spectacular. Fancy dress party?”

“What?” Fitz said. That was irresponsible, that was. Putting Simmons in terrible danger for a silly party. “He needs you for that? Why doesn’t he get someone more… someone like Skye?”

Simmons stiffened and spun on him. “I’m going, Fitz,” she snapped. “Regardless of what you say.”

She stormed out of the lab, leaving a stunned Fitz in her wake. “What the hell?” he muttered.

“Well that clearly didn’t go well,” Skye said. Fitz jumped. He was pretty sure she’d materialized out of nowhere. He’d have to talk to Simmons about whether that was possible. “In fact,” Skye continued, “I’d say it went decidedly not well.”

“How long were you there?” Fitz asked.

Skye shrugged. “Long enough. Dude, you are such an idiot. You don’t want her going to a party?”

Fitz bristled at her tone. “It could be dangerous, that’s all.” And god knew, he couldn’t take Simmons being in danger anymore. He’d lock them both in the lab if he had to. And not in the same way as when Simmons had been infected by the Chitauri virus. In a safe way.

Skye snorted, and Fitz frowned at her. He was starting to think he should just leave her here and go find Simmons before she could leave, try to change her mind.

“It’s just a party,” Skye said. “You think there’ll be that much trouble?”

Fitz glared at her.

“Okay,” Skye said, “you’re right, but Ward’ll be there. He may be a crappy SO, but he won’t let anything happen to her.” Fitz kept glaring, and Skye kept talking, “Unless that’s your problem. Ward? I mean, I know she’s the Simmons to your Fitz and all, but let’s face it, it’s not like you could go.”

“And why not?” Fitz asked.

“You’re not exactly… you know.”

“What?” he practically yelled at her, as exasperated as he was.

“Wait a minute,” Skye said, “did they not tell you? Oh, you’ve got to know, it’s the best part. It’s some fancy party for scientists and stuff. Ward’s going as her eye candy.”

Fitz opened his mouth to say something, but he kind of just gaped. He knew it didn’t make any logical sense, but he thought he might have preferred only having to worry about the physical danger.

\-----

He would never admit it to anyone, but there were parts of his job Ward found boring. Reconnaissance was one of those boring parts. _Boring but safe_ , he reminded himself, as he turned back to Simmons. She’d been surrounded by men practically as soon as they got there, and she was babbling on and on about some scientific concepts that Ward couldn’t make heads or tails of as they looked on, transfixed. They were like a little group of Fitzes.

“Ward.”

It took every bit of his training not to startle at Fitz’s voice over the comm in his head. He hoped it wasn’t because Fitz had invented a mind reading machine of some kind and thinking his name had triggered it.

“Ward,” Fitz said again. “What’s going on?”

Ward tried very hard not to roll his eyes. There was no way to update Fitz, not in the middle of the party and not without looking crazy, and if Fitz would just think for one minute, he would know that.

“Where’s Simmons?”

 _I can’t talk to you_ , Ward replied in his head, and for a second, he wished Fitz had actually invented that mind reading machine, so he’d hear and stop talking.

“Ward, if you don’t tell me…” Fitz suddenly broke off, and Ward would have worried if he hadn’t been able to hear soft hissing sounds over the comm.

“Fine,” Fitz finally said. “I’m sorry, Ward. Please get to a secure position before updating us.” He said it with as little sincerity as possible, and Ward was tempted to roll his eyes again. Instead he sighed.

There was no real place to go to “update” Fitz and, he assumed, Skye since neither May nor Coulson would be so unprofessional. He scanned the room, looking for somewhere to go, and his eyes caught on the dance floor. It would have to do. He moved over to Simmons’s side, pushing some of her adoring fans out of the way. “Would you like to dance?” he asked her.

“Dance?” Fitz practically yelled in his head, and Ward winced.

 _Do you want to be updated or not?_ he thought.

Simmons looked up at him, eyes wide, and he tried to convey that she should come with him. Luckily, she got the message.

“All right,” she said and turned back to the group of Fitzes. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.” The men began clamoring, trying to get her to stay, but Ward whisked her away before they got too rowdy. He didn’t want Fitz talking in his head any longer than necessary.

“Hurry up,” Fitz hissed, and Ward figured maybe he should ask someone if there actually was some machine where Fitz would talk when Ward thought his name. It was a terrifying thought.

Ward practically pulled Simmons on to the dance floor and automatically started moving her through one of the many formal dances he’s learned over the years. “We’re okay,” he hissed.

Simmons quickly glanced up at him. He shook his head slightly and mouthed “Fitz.” He expected her to be excited about that, but she just looked away again.

“Well, thanks for that incredibly illuminating update,” Fitz said, even more sarcastic than usual. “Took you long enough.”

“We’re busy,” Ward said.

“I’m aware of that,” Fitz said. Ward was actually pretty sure that wasn’t true.

“Then stop bothering me. We’re fine.”

“Oh, we’re fine,” Fitz said in a sing-songy, sarcastic voice, thankfully cut off by Skye though Ward could still hear him talking in the background.

“Get Simmons to say it,” Skye said. “She hasn’t been answering him all night.”

That was a surprise but maybe explained why Fitz hadn’t come to see them off as Ward had expected. “Simmons?” he asked.

Simmons sighed. “We’re fine, Fitz,” she said. “Please stop.”

Ward didn’t know what was going on with the two of them, and he didn’t really want to know unless it was going to keep interfering with their work, but he hoped Fitz would listen to Simmons and just shut up.

And for a while, it actually worked. Ward’s head was blessedly quiet while they went about the mission. Simmons had gotten them in and thankfully helped them to stand out less. Then it was Ward’s turn. He wasn’t only there, as Skye had put it before they left, to be “eye candy.”

Ward snuck himself and Simmons into one of the back labs that these evil types always seemed to have. While Simmons was collecting samples from whatever experiment these guys had going, Ward kept lookout and definitely wasn’t “eye candy.” Unfortunately, Fitz chose that time to start talking again.

“Ward,” Fitz said. He paused for a second, like he expected Ward to answer, but then he continued, “Sorry. But, uh, there are some guys headed for you.”

“Got it,” Ward said. He didn’t question how Fitz knew that. He trusted the information, trusted that Fitz had at least Simmons’s best interest at heart. He moved over to Simmons and said, “We have to go.”

“Just one moment,” Simmons said, “I still have to –”

“Now,” Ward interrupted. He helped her gather the samples, only half listening to her warnings about safety protocol. They didn’t have time for that.

“They’re coming, Ward,” Fitz said.

“I know,” Ward replied, trying to keep the tension out of his voice so as not to panic Simmons or the two listening in. 

They made it out of the lab without incident and almost all the way back to the designated party area when Fitz yelled, “Stop!”

Ward really wished Fitz hadn’t yelled the advice, simply saying it would have worked perfectly fine, but he was grateful for the warning when a couple people rounded the corner just in front of them. Ward simply reacted, spinning around and pushing Simmons against the wall.

“Kiss me,” he whispered. He heard Fitz sputtering in the background, and Skye yelled, “What?” Luckily, Simmons seemed to understand, or at least didn’t question it, and kissed him. Ward was split between trying to keep track of the people baring down on them and making sure the kiss was convincing, all the while hearing Fitz and Skye babbling in his head.

“Hey,” one of the guys called, having finally spotted them. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

Ward broke the kiss and hissed “shut up” at Fitz and Skye before pulling away from Simmons. “Can’t a guy get some privacy around here?” he asked, turning toward the two men.

The guys weren’t really buying the act, Ward could tell, and it probably didn’t help that he could feel Simmons radiating nervousness behind him. The men glanced at her, and Ward braced himself for a fight.

“You two need to leave,” the guy who’d spoken before said.

Ward grabbed Simmons’s arm and started pulling her down the hallway. “Fine,” he said. “Fine. We’re leaving.”

“Hey,” the man called after them.

Ward turned aback, already calculating the best way to disable the two while keeping Simmons safe.

“Nice catch,” the guy said, nodding at Simmons. Ward heard Simmons scoff behind him and hoped the men hadn’t heard it too. He nodded back at the guy and grinned.

The two started back down the hall, and Ward turned back around. “Nice catch,” Simmons spluttered. “Oh, that is just –”

“We need to leave,” Ward interrupted before she could get more worked up. They hurried down the hallway, making to back to the party without incident. Until they ran into Fitz and Skye just outside the building.

“What are you doing here?” Ward cried, his exasperation with the two finally reaching its boiling point.

Fitz rushed forward toward Simmons, or so Ward thought. Later, he’d wonder how he could have gotten it so wrong. He really should have seen it coming.

Fitz’s punch landed on Ward’s jaw. It stung but not as much as Ward figured Fitz wanted it to.

“Fitz!” Simmons cried, just as Fitz yelled, “Ow, bloody hell.” Simmons rushed to Fitz’s side while Fitz waved his hand in the air. “What did you do that for?” she asked, and they launched into a loud argument, most of which Ward decided it was best to ignore though he couldn’t help but smile at how clearly Fitz’s hand hurt. Someone really needed to teach him how to throw a punch.

“So…” Skye said, walking over to him. “Good mission?” He turned a glare on her, and she put up her hands in defense. “Woah there, it was just a question. Fitz about lost it when you told her to kiss you.”

“I was trying to keep our cover intact,” he said. “No thanks to the little voices in my head.”

“Sure you were,” Skye said. “Maybe I should try that one. Think she’d go for it?” Off Ward’s look, she continued, “What? Nerds are kind of hot.”

Ward shook his head and looked over at FitzSimmons. Simmons was checking Fitz’s hand, and their argument had gotten quieter, if no less passionate. “I think you’ll have to get in line,” he said. Skye followed his gaze and burst out laughing.

\-----

“Fitz, stop messing with it,” Simmons cried, and Fitz yanked his hand away from the ice compress on his other hand. “Of course it would serve you right if it bruised. What were you thinking?”

Fitz wished he could tell her, but the truth was, he didn’t know. He wasn’t even sure he had been thinking.

Simmons didn’t take his silence well. She shook her head. “Sometimes you are such an idiot.”

Fitz balked. The word stung. “Idiot” was quite possibly the worst thing she’d ever called him. Fitz knew he was many things, but he certainly wasn’t an idiot. “I am not,” he said, mustering up as much indignation as possible.

“Oh right,” Simmons snapped. “I forgot. You know absolutely everything, the great brain Leo Fitz.”

Fitz just stared at her. Simmons rarely yelled at him, not really anyway. Maybe if they were arguing in the lab, but it never lasted. He knew she hadn’t been answering him on the comm earlier, and now, now he suspected something was wrong.

“Sorry,” Simmons said, “but sometimes you can be so…” She made the must frustrated noise Fitz had ever heard, and it royally pissed him off.

“Yeah, well, you’re not exactly a picnic yourself, you know,” he yelled. “And now you’re yelling at me, and I don’t even know what I did, and–”

Simmons cut him off with a scoff. “Oh, don’t put this on me. You know exactly what you did. Attacking Ward, getting all huffy about me going out in the field.”

“It’s dangerous! And you bloody well know that.”

“It was a party, Fitz,” Simmons said. “And Ward was there the whole time. Which I’m sure you know because you kept pestering him on the comms.”

“Um, thank you, I was helping,” Fitz said. “I’m sorry that you so clearly wanted to be alone with Ward. Dancing with him and… and kissing him.”

“It was a mission. We had to be convincing,” Simmons said. “It’s a good thing they convinced me not to take you along. Not if you find the idea of kissing me so utterly repulsive.”

Fitz felt Simmons’s words hit him with enough force he almost fell over, which was ridiculous because they were just words. But suddenly he knew and he needed her to know it too that it wasn’t the idea of someone kissing her that made him so upset. It was the idea of her kissing someone who wasn’t him. “Hold on,” he said. “I never said that. Where’d you get a silly idea like that?”

“You didn’t think I could pull off the party,” she said. “You said Skye should do it.”

Oh. That wasn’t what he’d meant at all. “I didn’t want you to go,” he said, and Simmons nodded and started to turn away. He talked louder. “Because I didn’t want you in danger. I couldn’t handle you being in danger. Again.”

“It was just a party, Fitz.”

“It was still the field.”

There was silence for a minute, and Fitz was afraid Simmons was going to leave. She didn’t, instead moving over to sit beside him. “How’s your hand?” she asked.

Fitz laughed ruefully. “Hurts like hell. Was worth it though. Did you see Ward’s face? He had no idea it was coming.”

Simmons grinned. “You still shouldn’t have done it, but it was pretty hilarious.”

Fitz smiled back. “Hey,” he said, “I’m sorry for being such an idiot.”

“Oh, Fitz, you’re not an idiot.”

“But you said,” he protested, just because he knew she’d have to contradict him. As they settled into their normal pattern of half-serious bickering, Fitz once again considered locking them in the lab, not only because he wanted to keep them out of danger but because there was nowhere else he’d rather be.


End file.
